


We've Got A Lot Of History

by KikoRush96



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: A celebration of the band, Daddy Direction is BACK, Feel-good, Fluff, I LOVE NARRY, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I love ziam, Implied Zayn Malik/Liam Payne, Louis is a Ziam, M/M, Might be a second part coming, Mild Language, Minor Niall Horan/Harry Styles, Narry - Freeform, Not really centered on any relationships, One Direction Anniversary Celebration, Post-One Direction, Protective Liam, Reminiscing, Sleepovers, Solo One Direction, Zayn-centric, i miss one direction, ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 14:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15438966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KikoRush96/pseuds/KikoRush96
Summary: "You excited to see everyone again?" Liam's voice crackled through the phone speaker."I'm nervous, actually. Kind of like back in school when you were seeing your friends again after not seeing them for the whole summer. A jittery kind of excitement too, like when you drink too much coffee. You?"-Eight years ago, their lives changed forever. Whether good or bad, they were never going to be the same after they were thrown together on X Factor.Eight years later, the five boys from Cheshire, Mullingar, Wolverhampton, Bradford, and Doncaster are once again sitting around the fire at Harry's bungalow, and they reminisce about their journey as One Direction, as solo acts, and as men in general.





	We've Got A Lot Of History

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 8 years of One Direction!! I can't believe it's been sooo long since X Factor and "What Makes You Beautiful". These five boys from various parts of England (and Ireland) have changed a lot of people's lives, and it's amazing to see what their music and even theirselves have done for so many people.
> 
> Since I haven't written anything Ziam or 1D related in quite a while, I thought I would write a quick little thing to celebrate One Direction's birthday!! <3 xx
> 
> As a note, I wanted to mention that while I have tagged Ziam and Narry, the focus in this fic is not the relationships, but on the five boys being together again after so long. But whenever I write anything 1D, I can't help but sneak some Ziam (and oftentimes, Narry) into it, so you'll definitely see some implied stuff!

Zayn was sitting in his lawn chair when the invitation came through, his phone dinging to his right as he sunned himself in his backyard. He was used to his phone going off quite often, being an in-demand solo act from one of the biggest boybands in the world since the backstreet Boys, so he didn't think much about it. He didn't answer the proposals from artists himself very often, leaving that to his managers, but when the phone kept going off, he sighed and sat up. His eyes nearly bugged out when he saw how many messages were on his screen.

He had been apparently added to a group chat, though he only had the contact of one person on his new phone. Puzzled, he unlocked his phone and shoved his sunglasses up over his hair.

The texts were varying in style and excitement, some written in all caps, others written with quite a few emojis dotted through them. The familiarity of the messages struck him, and his throat clogged painfully he realized it must be the boys. His boys.

Well, actually, they were _Liam's_ boys, but that was neither here nor there. 

Liam, the only one in the group he had the contact of, had the boys introduce themselves in case anyone didn't have someone's current contact, and it was so 'Daddy Direction' of him to look after everyone that Zayn had to force down the fondness bubbling up in him and making him smile like an idiot.

Thankfully, he was alone, save for his dog snoozing on the ground by his chair.

Though it was hard to tell, considering the flood of messages he was having to go through, he was getting the idea that the boys were planning some sort of meet up. He had seen, through social media, that over the years since the split the boys had all hung out with someone from the group at least once or twice, him included, but they had yet to all be in the same room together. As he had before, Zayn was quiet in the chat, reading and laughing at the messages the boys were sending rather than try to insert something into the conversation.

And of course, as he had before, Liam always tried to rope him into the conversation, asking him things specifically and speaking to him like they weren't in a group chat with three other people, which of course had the other boys sending sick (Louis) or kissy (Niall and Harry) faces to them. It felt like old times, like back when they were all still in the band, conversations very similar to the one he was witnessing happening nearly every day.

He suddenly missed his boys so much.

Harry was the one who suggested meeting at the bungalow again, for old time sake, and everyone jumped on the idea with so much excitement that it was basically a done deal. The only issue would be schedules, seeing as they were all doing their own thing finally, but it turned out to be easier than any of them probably thought it would be.

Zayn figured they were all itching to see each other as much as he was itching to see them. 

With the contacts saved and the date added to his calendar, Zayn locked his phone and sat back in his chair.

The day just couldn't come fast enough.

\---

"You excited to see everyone again?" Liam's voice crackled through the phone speaker. He had called as soon as Zayn had told him he was off the plane and heading towards the car that would take him to where the boys were waiting. According to Liam, they were still waiting on Louis as well, so at least Zayn wouldn't be last to show up. He wasn't sure how the other boys were feelings towards him, Harry specifically, and it wouldn't look all that good if he showed up last out of everyone.

That had been the problem with One Direction. It was too much about appearances for Zayn's liking. He hated constantly wondering how he looked to others, even to his own band mates and friends, and it had just been too much for him in the end. Harry, surprisingly, was the most upset with him out of everyone, which had left their close friendship on the rocks for a long time. 

He hoped things would be better now.

"I'm nervous, actually. Kind of like back in school when you were seeing your friends again after not seeing them for the whole summer. A jittery kind of excitement too, like when you drink too much coffee. You?" Zayn watched as the trees and fields flew past, waiting for Liam to reply. Out of all the boys, Liam had been the most supportive of everything he did, pre and post-band split. Liam was the one who reached out to him consistently over the years, sharing music and dreams just as they had while in the band together, and it was nice to see one thing hadn't changed.

When Liam had surprised him the first time with a visit, well, Zayn had been so relieved and excited to see a familiar face. He had also made up with Louis after a ridiculous Twitter spat, and the two had visited with each other as often as they could. He hadn't seen Niall much, but he still kept up with him through Twitter and Instagram, feeling a big brother pride for the Irish boy as he watched him kill it with his music. 

Harry was the only one Zayn hadn't been able to keep up much with, and while he had heard the younger man's music (which was good and also not a surprise), he hadn't felt he should reach out like he had for Liam, Louis, and Niall. Maybe seeing him again would help mend the broken relationship. 

"Excited, as you might have guessed. And don't worry! The other lads were a bit nervous when I spoke to them, but now it's just like old times. Harry and Nialler are hiking through the woods to the lake, Louis is still stuck in America, I'm keeping up with everyone and trying to keep Harry from getting killed, and you're almost here. It's going to be great, Zayner. Just wait." Zayn bit his lip, trying to keep himself from smiling like a psycho and possibly scaring his driver. He needed to get to the destination, and walking didn't seem like much fun.

Liam finally had to hang up with him after a few minutes, going into mother hen mode when Harry and Niall hadn't returned in what he felt was a reasonably long enough time to get to the lake and back (Zayn could easily picture Liam pacing the room and looking out the window repeatedly during their brief conversation), and that definitely felt like old times. Liam was such a worry-wart, Zayn wondered if he'd be the first one to get gray hairs. 

An hour later and he was finally standing at the door, his ears picking up muffled conversations on the other side of the door. His bags were at his side, his headphones hung around his neck, and his phone was in his back pocket. The driver was long gone, the sun was setting, and Zayn was really really nervous. He knew these lads, had been extremely close with all of them for four years, yet he still felt like he was going to choke. Zayn didn't doubt that they would welcome him warmly, or at least, he knew Liam would. Usually that was enough to get him through a bout of anxiety, knowing Liam would be there, but this time he was fighting just to keep his breathing normal.

 _Focus, Malik. Just knock on the damn door and go inside. You look stupid standing on the step like a freak. Just....do it. Now._ Before he could muster up the courage to knock, the door opened, a startled Liam freezing in his steps as he took in Zayn. 

"Zayner! You're here! I was getting worried you'd gotten lost. Come in quick. Don't want you getting sick. The other boys are in the kitchen trying to figure out something for dinner. I'll show you where everyone is sleeping. There are three rooms in here, but Harry and Niall agreed that they wanted all of us to sleep together, like old times, so we're all camping out in the living room. If you don't want to sleep with the snore patrol, like I said, there are rooms." Liam showed him the rooms as he talked, finally leading him to where it was obvious Niall and Harry had already laid out their sleeping spots, pillows and blankets thrown everywhere. Even after so many years, they were still the young teen boys they had been back then. Zayn knew he couldn't sleep in one of the rooms, even though the idea of suffering through Niall and Harry's snoring was putting a damper on his mood, because he missed all of it. Everything was so much like their first weekend together, back when he'd hardly known their names, and he just couldn't find it in himself to separate himself like that.

"I'll stay in the living room. You know, being here has made me realize how much I've just missed this. How much I've missed you guys." Liam nodded, rubbing a hand over his shorter hair and giving Zayn a wide smile.

"Yeah I felt the same when I got here. I was second, only after Harry, and just seeing everything again was...it made me feel so right, you know? Anyway, you can put your stuff in the first room I showed you and then bring your sleeping stuff out here to claim your spot." Zayn looked around, wondering where Liam's stuff was when he only spotted two spaces marked out.

"I haven't brought my stuff out yet. I wanted to see what you and Louis would do, just in case one of you might not want to sleep out here. That way no one would be alone." Zayn was dumbstruck by Liam's words, silently taking his things (with the younger man's help, of course) to the room Liam had indicated as the 'storage room' for the weekend. He had known Liam for eight years, had become extremely close to him, and yet it still somehow amazed him how thoughtful and caring Liam was, always looking after everyone else first and making sure everyone was comfortable. Liam had been the glue that had held the band together for much longer than any of them had really thought they would go, and Zayn was just glad Liam finally got to do his own thing for a while. 

He really deserved it, after the hell that had been One Direction.

After he had his belongings settled and sleeping place set (they had remembered to leave him the love seat), he wandered into the kitchen, wanting to hear what was being done about dinner. Niall saw him first, dropping whatever he'd been saying to Harry and running full speed into Zayn. 

"ZAYN!! You're here! I mean, I knew that 'cuz Liam told us, but YOU'RE HERE!! Harry, look! Zayn's here!" Zayn peeked over at the tall brunette, still not used to Harry's shorter hair and totally different style of clothing, but he was still Harry. That sixteen year old boy was there, smiling at him, even under the expensive clothes, mild facial hair, and dozens of tattoos coloring his arms. Zayn waited with bated breath to see what Harry would do, whether he would greet Zayn cooly or with the warmth someone did after seeing a long lost friend after so long, and just when he thought he was going to get neither, Harry finally approached them both.

"Good to see you, Zayn. Missed you." Harry stood a few inches taller than Zayn now, and as he wrapped him in a tight hug, Zayn released all the air from his lungs, returning the hug eagerly. Now he was certain it was going to be a great weekend.

"Better watch out, Harold. Liam might see you guys and think you're trying to kill him. You know how Liam is about Zayn." Harry laughed, releasing Zayn slowly before ambling back to his spot against the counter. It was a running joke with the group that Liam was extra protective of Zayn (though he wasn't really. He was just attentive to everyone.), and Zayn had long since learned to laugh at Niall and Louis' teasing instead of feeling flustered and embarrassed. 

"How could I forget? He showed up thirty minutes after me and asked if I had killed Zayn already. Literally, the first words out of his mouth were, 'Harold, where's Zayn? Have you done something?' The guy's nuttier than a squirrel." Zayn chuckled, warmth spreading through his body as he settled into the conversation, leaning against a wall opposite of Harry and adjacent to Niall. Zayn looked over at the Irish man, noticing for the first time how different he looked. 

Much like Harry, he was sporting different clothes than he used to, and his hair was totally different than the shock of blonde he used to have. He also had let some of his facial hair come in on his jaw. He still carried the same carefree air he'd had in the band, but now he truly looked relaxed. Zayn knew, deep down, that breaking up the band had been the best for everyone. 

"So Zayn, we were talking about dinner things. Liam said, as you could guess, that he's fine with whatever we want, so we wanted to ask you what you thought." He blinked out of his thoughts and focused on Niall.

"I can eat whatever, but pizza sounds pretty good right now. What have you guys suggested?" Niall listed off all the places they had thought of, a couple of them surprising Zayn, and Harry added a few more that Niall must have forgot. Zayn had no clue how they were ever going to make a decision with a list like that (most probably from Niall because he knew all the best places to eat), but once Louis got there, he figured it would work itself out. Niall and Harry continued to talk about dinner options and what Louis would probably vote for, Zayn soaking it all in as he sipped on a water he'd pulled out of the refrigerator. 

"Are you two _still_ going on about dinner? We need to order soon or our only options will be whatever you have here Harold. I took a look earlier, by the way, and I don't think any of you will like having cheese sandwiches with goldfish for dinner." Zayn muffled a snicker as Harry and Niall both started talking at once, trying to explain to Liam how hard the decision was when _someone_ wouldn't vote on anything and how they wanted to include everyone in the final vote. Liam shrugged, stepping past Zayn to dig around in the refrigerator for something. 

"You know those two can talk into the afterlife about literally anything. Leaving dinner up to them ensures that we're probably going to starve to death, Liam." Zayn smiled as Liam, water in hand, gave him a look and shook his head.

"I forgot, obviously. They were the only ones here, at the time, and I never care what we eat since I can practically eat anything, so I just told them to pick something quick. I should have known I made a terrible decision when I saw Harry pull out a binder with 'Takeout Options' written on the spine. Hey, want to see something?" They both left Harry and Niall to continue their dinner discussion, Zayn making a mental note to call up the pizza place in ten minutes so they had something to eat, Liam leading him out a side door. The firepit was lit, the patio furniture slightly more worn since the last time they were there, but still the same scratchy fabric all outdoor pillows and cushions had to protect them from the rain. Liam was poking at the fire, Zayn's eye catching the nearly filled tattoo sleeve Liam was sporting on both arms. 

So much had changed since 2010, but so much was still the same, and it comforted Zayn.

"This place is just- there are so many memories coming back the longer I look around. The more I listen to Niall and Harry bicker, or see you dad them when they're acting up. It's just...it's really nice after the hell we've all been through." Liam abandoned the fire, offering Zayn a smile before looking around him, something like content falling over his features.

"Yeah. It's really nice to get away and be with the lads again. I really missed you lot. Even that idiot, Louis. Who, by the way, should be here soon. And I'm giving those idiots in there five more minutes before I'm going with whatever you picked and ordering. A lad's gotta eat at some point!" They walked back up the walk and into the house, returning to the kitchen just as there was a knock on the door, followed by a loud shout and a slam.  
Louis.

There was a scramble as Niall and Harry both tried to be the first one to greet the eldest member of their little gang, and Zayn was afraid Harry was going to seriously hurt something or someone, but when he and Liam entered the living room area, there was just more hugging and chatting.

"Hey, Lou!"

"Lou-EH!! The swagmastah from Doncastah!"

"Niall, I already told you, _don't_ call me that!"

"Sure thing, Swagmaster from Doncaster. I'll get on that."

"Thank you, Niall." Came the sarcastic reply.

Liam picked up a few of the bags Louis had set down in favor of hugging Niall and Harry, and Zayn followed suit and slung a bag over his shoulder. The sooner they got everyone settled in, the better he would feel.

"Aw, I see Liam and Zayner haven't changed at all. Zayn, I feel like I haven't seen you in decades, man! Come 'ere!" Flushing, Zayn shuffled around Harry and wrappe his arms around Louis' smaller frame, feeling something inside him fall into place for the first time since his departure from the band. When they broke apart, Louis snapped at Liam to wait a damn minute and just hug him, which of course Liam did with a laugh.

"Always good to hear you, Lou." Louis offered him a middle finger, the boys all laughing as Louis walked further into the house. Liam started moving his belongings to the storage room, so Zayn stayed back to help him. It was something he had gotten used to doing back when they boys were all together all the time; helping Liam take care of the boys. While Zayn wasn't as good as Liam in keeping up with everyone and making sure things went right, he was great at keeping tabs on _Liam_ and making sure he wasn't doing too much himself.

Louis often teased him about following Liam around like a lost puppy, but he didn't mind. Liam deserved help, after all.

"Thanks, Zayn, but you didn't have to do that. I know you probably want to hang with the boys, especially since we've seen each other more than anyone else here. Oh, by the way, did you ever talk to that producer? Seeing if we could get a collab nailed out?" Zayn settled Louis' final bag by his own, stretching his back out as he followed Liam back to the sitting area, anticipation burning through his veins now that everyone was finally there.

"Oh yeah! I did, and he said he would be honored to be the one to help release the first track featuring two members of One Direction. Especially if it's us. He likes our kind of music." Liam clapped excitedly, pulling Zayn into a rough hug as they came into view of the other boys, who were all shouting about something. Liam rolled his eyes and pulled away, going into dad mode instantly. His whistle pierced the air, silence falling over the room as everyone looked at him.

"What are we fighting about now?" Zayn burst out laughing as Louis and Niall both tried to explain, in increasingly rising voices, who had done what, while Harry tried to interject every so often. Liam waved Niall and Louis away, motioning for Harry to speak.

"We were talking about dinner options, and Louis said he didn't want sandwiches from that place Niall really loves."

"Because they would be all soggy, Niall!"

"So then I suggested pizza, but Niall said he'd had pizza for lunch.."

"Two of them!"

"So now we're at a loss. Zayn wants pizza, Louis wants pizza, I want chicken, and Niall wants sandwiches. Liam, what do you think?" It was interesting to Zayn how, even though Liam was third oldest in the group, everyone turned to him when it came to making any decisions. Even though Louis liked to claim he was the leader, even he knew it was actually Liam.

"I don't know. I kind of like the pizza idea. Niall, there is a pizza place who also sells sandwiches, and chicken. Order from them. What are they called, Zayn?" All eyes turned to him, Louis winking at him cheekily, and Zayn shuffled a little.

"Dominos?"

"Yeah that's the one. Harry, see if they're still open. Order two large pizzas, whatever sandwich Niall wants, and your chicken. You know what toppings we all like, right?" Harry nodded dutifully, picking up his cell and stepping away. Liam turned to Niall.

"Niall, show Louis where his things are and tell him about the sleeping arrangements. Once the food is here, we can all change and go sit by the fire." With Niall and Louis gone, Liam finally relaxed, plopping down on the couch and sighing. Though he looked incredibly happy, Zayn realized he looked a little worn out as well.

"You okay, Liam?" Brown eyes met his, Liam running a hand through his hair and smiling.

"Yeah. Just forgot how much trouble they can be sometimes. Especially Louis. I was going to do the tour, but I needed to sit down for a second and regroup. I've been on my own too long." Zayn sat down next to him, resting his head back and closing his eyes.

"Maybe we're just getting older. I feel like I could sleep right here, right now." Silence fell over them for a moment, and Zayn was actually starting to fall asleep, but of course that was interrupted by the troublemakers. Louis flounced into the room, talking as loudly as possible to Niall, who was lugging Louis' sleeping things behind him. Louis had a way of getting the boys to do what he wanted that impressed Zayn, if not also getting on his nerves.

"Just lay my things right here, Niall. I know Zayn has the love seat, and I assume Liam will be near there, so I want to be across the room from them. Last time I slept over with the Malik-Paynes, I couldn't sleep because of their constant teenage girl whispering and giggling. 'Oh Zayn, remember that one time we went and saw Iron Man five times in one night?' 'Oh Liam, you're so funny.' Teehee teehee!" Niall laughed, setting Louis' things down and spreading them out lazily, Louis falling on the other side of Liam, jostling him without apology. Liam snorted, sitting up and scratching at his facial hair.

"As if you and Niall are any better, Lou. When I visited you guys a few months ago, I had to basically make you sleep in different rooms." Louis snorted, batting Liam's head playfully as Harry finally emerged, flopping down into his blankets.

"Food will be here in ten. If it's a girl, I'm daring Zayn to answer it. Remember that one time he did, and the girl actually fainted right there? Our food was everywhere, but it was a good laugh." They all laughed at the memory, though Zayn was still adamant about not answering the door anymore if he could help it. He loved his fans, but he was afraid of someone getting hurt. 

"Or we could have Niall answer it. He might charm her into giving us the food for free." Liam shook his head, slapping Louis in the arm roughly.

"We're totally making Zayn answer it. Maybe buck naked. Woo hoo! Look out pizza guy or girl, cuz you're getting an eyeful of Malik." The resulting slap Liam gave him was much harder, but Louis only cracked up laughing, Niall pratically rolling around on the ground with how hard he was cackling. Harry seemed confused, looking between them for a few moments before typing on his phone once again.

"Zayn is _not_ answering the door, naked or not. I'll do it because none of you can be trusted to do it without messing around. I'm mostly speaking to you, Louis." 

Soon enough, the food was there, Liam practically tackling Louis to the ground to keep him from flashing the poor delivery person (who happened to be a guy around their age), and once everything was passed out, they headed out to the fire pit, Harry bringing up the rear.

Louis snagged one of the nicer chairs, Niall next to him, so Liam and Zayn settled onto the couch, leaving Harry with the rocking chair no one really liked except for him. Zayn leaned back, folding his pizza in half so he could eat it without making a huge mess, and just taking everything in. The stars were out in full force on the moonless night, reminding Zayn of one of the songs on One Direction's last album. The album he hadn't gotten to be a part of.

Nervously, he sat up again, shifting his weight back and forth, and swallowed. Thankfully, Louis noticed, but he quickly realized that was a bad thing as a dark smirk took over his face.

"What's wrong, Zayner? Cactus in your ass? Or perhaps something else.." Liam nearly choked on his own food, Niall practically spitting his food everywhere as he laughed, and Harry shook his head while he picked at his chicken.

" _Louis_! That was not appropriate!" Louis snorted, raising a brow at Zayn.

"Well?" 

"I was thinking -"

"About that thing in your ass?"

" _Louis!_ "

"-about the album you guys made. Made in the AM? And how I didn't get to do any of those songs with you guys. I just thought, since we were all here, maybe we could sing one? I've just...I've missed singing with you guys. I haven't been on stage in forever, only singing to myself and my animals, so I just wanted to suggest that." Everyone sat up, giving him pleased looks, and set their food down. Of course, Louis had to put in a word.

"I bet if Liam were there, you'd sing on stage just fine. Co-dependent little shit you are." Liam threw a pillow at Louis' head.

"I like that idea, Zayn."

"Of course you do, _Leeyum."_

"Louis, the next thing I'm going to throw is my shoe. Anyway, what song should we try, boys?" Niall suggested "Made in the AM", but no one really wanted to sing that one at the campfire. Louis wanted to sing "End of the Day", Liam suggested either "Drag Me Down" or "History", and Harry liked "If I Could Fly". 

Basically, it was every One Direction meeting they'd ever had. Ever. 

"Why don't we let _Zayn_ pick, since it was his idea, and he might not know all the songs." Louis grumbled something under his breath, Liam taking off his shoe threateningly. 

"Well, I thought of it while looking up at the stars, and I know one of those songs had something to do with stars, so maybe that one?" The boys all hummed in appreciation. 

"Infinity. That's a really good one, though last time we tried, Harry nearly lost his singing ability trying to sing that chorus." Harry cleared his throat and nodded, picking at the remains of his chicken. 

"Yeah, I was losing my voice, and instead of listening to my doctor, I kept singing. It was not a good idea, in retrospect." Zayn wondered how they were going to include him in a song only the four of them had sang on, but it ended up not being an issue. 

"Well, we could let Zayn sing it? He has the vocal range, and actually, if I remember, the song was written with him in mind originally." Zayn cocked a brow at Niall, not remembering ever hearing a song called "infinity" before, but towards the end, the boys would go off writing on their own more and more, so maybe it was just one he had never gotten a hold of. 

"That's great, Nialler! Zayn's pretty angel voice can easily tackle the notes. We'll sing it once just so he can learn the words, and then you can give it a shot, Zayner. Oh man, this is totally making me miss being in the band more and more." Everyone agreed with Louis, Liam wrapping an arm around Zayn's shoulders. 

After singing the song a few times through, Zayn getting better with each try (and with a little help from Liam on the chorus), they moved on to songs they all knew, some they wrote, others by artists they liked, and when songs ran out, the stories started flowing. Zayn couldn't believe he'd ever thought he could go on living without these boys in his life. He needed Harry's rumbling voice, Niall's laughter, Louis' teasing, and Liam's thoughtfulness. 

He needed them to stay in his life and never leave. 

"Remember when there was some fan spying on you through a window, Harold? Good thing you were out of your naked phase at that point, or you would be all over the internet." The boys all laughed, though Louis gave Liam a cheeky wink. 

"Don't think we've forgotten when the Payne Train was everywhere, Liam. The fans had a field day with that one!" Zayn caught the blush that flared up Liam's face, though he was smiling and giving Louis the finger. 

"I still can't believe that girl stole my trousers. Who does that?" Niall cracked up. 

"Someone who wants to have Liam Payne's trousers, obviously. I wonder what she was going to do with them?" The boys sat there for a moment, imagining, and they all seemed to shudder at once. 

"Best not to think of that one, lads." Liam let out a yawn, stretching out his arms and legs. Niall's eyes were drooping as he put together a s'more for him, and Zayn noticed Louis was practically asleep in his chair. 

"Liam?" The other man looked over to him, eyes alert but sleepy, and Zayn knew it was time to snuff the fire out and get everyone to bed. He was definitely feeling the pull of the day on his body. 

"Think the lads are ready for bed. Look at Louis. And Niall is going to set something on fire." They both watched as Niall nearly dropped his still burning marshmallow onto the ground, cursing in his slurred Irish accent. Louis was looking at them again, his mouth tugged up in a smile. 

"Aw, look at my boys, Niall. I always wanted them to be so disgustingly cute. Ever since day one, when I found out they both liked dorky things. Look, Niall! They're whispering secrets. Give me a bite of that, will ya?" Liam rose from his seat, moving around the stretched out legs and dinner trash scattered around the ground as he went about putting out the fire. Zayn's eyes fell closed, snapping back open when Liam gently shook his shoulder. He looked around, squinting to see in the darkness, and noticed that he was the last one out there. 

"I had to carry Louis in, he was so sleepy. Niall went in on his own, mumbling about burnt desserts, and Harry nearly fell into the pool, but now everyone is safely inside. I know how you are about your sleep, so I saved you for last. Ready?" Zayn knew he wasn't too tired to walk, but being carried by Liam suddenly sounded like the greatest thing in the world (and in his experience, it totally was), so he merely held out his arms and gave Liam his best puppy dog look. 

"Really, Zayn? Fine." Zayn couldn't really see Liam, save for his silhouette, so he nearly jumped when his arms slid under his back and legs, the grunt Liam let out pretty close to his ear. He wrapped his arms around Liam's neck, marveling at how powerful he still was. Liam had carried the boys, both literally and figuratively, for a long time, and he was just so strong (again, both literally and figuratively). 

"I can't believe you and Louis. I bet he was faking too, the asshole. You better consider yourselves lucky I love you all. " Zayn squeezed his arms tighter in a weird cradle hug that had Liam giggling. Once inside, Liam maneuvered easily around the dark room, settling Zayn on the love seat before collapsing on the ground near him, right where Louis figured he would be. 

_Right next to you, Liam_ echoed in his mind as he drifted back off to sleep, and he smiled for the first time in a long while. The weekend with his boys was going to be so much better than he could have hoped, and for once, he was excited to get going the next day. 

"Goodnight, Zayn." Zayn's eyes opened slightly, Liam's quiet baritone stirring him out of his near-sleep. 

"Goodnight, Liam. See you in the morning." He heard and felt Liam's hand groping around the couch, and he stifled a laugh as he grabbed it and squeezed. 

"I'm glad you came, Zee." So many nights just like this flashed through Zayn's mind. Liam whispering to him softly, Zayn smiling up at the ceiling as he wondered what the future held for them, and everything so peaceful. 

"I'm glad I came too, Li." An annoyed huff interrupted them. 

"Shut the hell up, Malik-Payne. I knew you motherfuckers would pull this shit again. Never fails with you two. Go to sleep!" Niall and Harry grumbled at Louis for being too loud, so Liam hushed everyone and apologized for waking Louis. Silence fell over the room again, save for the sound of five people breathing. Zayn smirked. 

"Goodnight, Liam." 

"For fucks sake, Zayn!!" 

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! That took way too long to do! And of course I can't ever post anything when I want to, so this is quite a few days too late, but I figured I should post it anyway.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please, send me some requests! I love writing things for people!! <3
> 
> (Btw, I actually do have something Ziam coming soon...)
> 
> (My "soon" is kind of like Zayn's "soon" lol. Sorry!)


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